Orlando City signed defender Thomas Williams to a Homegrown Player contract on June 15, 2021 when he was just 16 years old. The club’s 11th Homegrown signing was seen as an important one and the Lions entered the 2022 season with Williams as the club’s fourth option at center back behind the starting pairing of Antonio Carlos and Robin Jansson and backup Rodrigo Schlegel.
This was an area of concern for The Mane Land staff entering the season, because it meant that the Lions entered the campaign just an injury or two away from having to play a 17-year-old in a critical position.